Daily Indie News Roundup #22 (18. 2. 2026.)

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Today’s Daily Indie News Roundup covers Early Access reveals, console ports, release delays, demos for Steam Next Fest, and major shifts in the global business landscape. Meanwhile, the broader industry continues to wrestle with layoffs, outsourcing dependence and the normalization of delays.

Project: Zenith Expanse Heads to Early Access

Veteran developer Szymon Kosok has unveiled Project: Zenith Expanse, a space colony survival sim launching in Steam Early Access in Q3 2026. But this isn’t a power fantasy about saving the galaxy. Instead, it focuses on the captains and colonists who didn’t make the history books. Deep colony management sits at the center. You’ll build settlements on hostile planets, manage crop rotations, ensure life support stability, and prevent catastrophic mistakes.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss Showcases Investigation Mechanics Ahead of April Launch

Publisher NACON and developer Big Bad Wolf have released a new gameplay trailer for Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss, focusing entirely on its investigative systems. The game launches April 16, with a public demo arriving February 23 during Steam Next Fest. The trailer dives players into the abandoned Ocean-I underwater mining station, where protagonist Noah investigates signs of occult violence and psychological collapse.

STONEFEATHER Revealed as Atmospheric Flight Adventure

Italian indie team CGames has announced STONEFEATHER, a serene flying adventure where players control a stone-born bird gliding across silent ruins in a windless world. The game’s central philosophy, “Fly with Flow,” emphasizes precision and expression in movement. Players dive to build speed, carve arcs through the sky, and master wind currents restored through exploration. The world is built around vertical landmarks and shifting air currents, creating traversal puzzles embedded in natural landscapes.

Sanctuary Games Debuts Zanerdin: The Unbound With Gacha-Style Gameplay

Newly formed indie studio Sanctuary Games has announced its first project, Zanerdin: The Unbound, a collectible turn-based RPG for PC and PlayStation 5. Set in the elemental world of Kalatos, the story follows Zanerdin, born powerless in the Chaos region where inhabitants lack elemental Blessings. The narrative unfolds across hand-drawn cutscenes as players explore lands shaped by Water, Fire, Earth, Metal, Wind, and Electric affinities.

Stoneguard Blends Base-Building and Tactical Combat in March Early Access Launch

Stoneguard from ThornSpire Games and Wandering Wizard enters Steam Early Access on March 19, with a demo available during Steam Next Fest. Combining survival sandbox mechanics with tactical strategy, players defend a mystical Lifestone from alien invaders. Unlike traditional top-down strategy games, Stoneguard uses a third-person perspective, placing players in the role of Earth’s current Ruler fleeing with the Lifestone.

Ligmanauts Brings Voice-Chat Chaos Back to Multiplayer Platforming

Developer Super Spin Digital has revealed Ligmanauts, a physics-driven multiplayer platformer launching Q3 2026 on Steam. Designed for eight-player chaos, Ligmanauts emphasizes cooperative physics challenges that frequently collapse into hilarious disaster. Players swing, bounce, and launch one another across gaps while coordinating through voice chat. The aesthetic channels early 2000s couch co-op energy, supported by a liquid drum and bass soundtrack.

REPLACED Delayed to April 14, 2026 for Final Polish

Cyberpunk action platformer REPLACED from Sad Cat Studios and Thunderful has been delayed slightly to April 14, 2026 for PC and Xbox Series X/S. The studio stated the game is technically complete but requires additional polish to meet quality expectations. The decision reflects a broader conversation about delays in the industry, prioritizing stability and vision over rushed launches. The demo remains live on Steam.

The Ratline Launches in March With Historical Deduction Gameplay

Indie studio Owlskip Games will release The Ratline on March 17, 2026 for PC and Mac. Set in 1971 Budapest, players assume the role of detective Saul Perlman investigating a murdered priest and uncovering a network that helped Nazi fugitives escape justice. The game emphasizes document analysis, code deciphering, photo examination, and subtle dialogue interpretation.

People of Note Brings Musical Combat to Consoles in April

Published by Annapurna Interactive, People of Note launches April 7 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC. The RPG follows pop singer Cadence on a quest for stardom while dark forces disrupt the Harmonic Convergence. Battles unfold as interactive musical performances blending turn-based tactics with rhythm-based mechanics and genre mashups.

Hakoniwa Electric Offers Cozy Puzzle Exploration in 2026

Japanese developer Anettai has announced Hakoniwa Electric, a relaxing isometric puzzle exploration game arriving in 2026. Players control Akari, running her grandfather’s electronics shop while solving wiring puzzles across miniature seasonal dioramas. Each stage hides circuit-rotation challenges tucked within charming environments, emphasizing slow-paced comfort gameplay.

Frontier Legends Rides Into Early Access This Spring

Wild West survival crafting game Frontier Legends enters Early Access this spring via Steam and Epic Games Store. Players build frontier settlements, manage resources, tame wild horses, and shape reputations as lawman, trader, bandit, or builder. Dynamic weather, day-night cycles, and survival systems frame the open-world experience.

Dragon is Dead Expands to Consoles With Final 1.0 Content

Side-scrolling roguelite Dragon is Dead arrives digitally on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and Switch April 23, with physical editions July 14. The 1.0 version introduces a final region and boss, new enemies, customizable difficulty, and Mythic-tier gear. The game evolved heavily through community feedback during Early Access, culminating in its full release.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Global Game Revenue Hits $195.6B as Funding and Layoffs Continue

The latest State of Video Gaming 2026 report from Epyllion CEO Matthew Ball paints a picture of an industry that is simultaneously growing and contracting. Global video game content sales rose 5.3% year-over-year to reach $195.6 billion in 2025, marking a new all-time high and the third consecutive year of growth. Yet beneath that headline figure lies a far more uneven recovery.

China’s role in global spending has also intensified. The region now represents roughly 20% of global player spending, and Chinese publishers have captured about half of worldwide spending growth since 2019. Meanwhile, Roblox emerged as a dominant force, accounting for 67% of net market growth in 2025 alone. By engagement metrics, Roblox surpassed individual console platforms in daily active users and exceeded 10 billion monthly engagement hours, more than Steam, PlayStation, and Fortnite combined.

Bastion Expands to North America

UK-based PR and communications firm Bastion has officially launched a North American office, marking a significant expansion beyond its longstanding UK presence. The new division, Bastion America, will be led by industry veteran Rebekah Nicodemus, whose résumé includes senior communications roles at Blizzard Entertainment, Amazon Games, and Amazon Web Services.

Switch 2 Port of No Rest for the Wicked Appears to be in Development

A potential Switch 2 version of No Rest for the Wicked appears to be in active development following a now-deleted social media clip from Moon Studios CEO Thomas Mahler. The footage, which was reposted by fans, showed a live build of the action RPG running on Nintendo’s upcoming hardware. The clip wasn’t a polished trailer, it appeared to be candid gameplay captured directly from Mahler’s development setup, complete with visible workstation equipment.

Welcome to Doll Town Finally Approved for Steam

After a turbulent week of public frustration and platform setbacks, solo developer Bad Wish Games has secured a February 20 Steam release for Welcome to Doll Town. The retro-inspired horror title was originally slated for February 13 but failed to launch as expected. According to the developer, attempts to contact Valve support initially went unanswered. Other storefronts reportedly declined distribution, leaving the project in limbo despite strong wishlist numbers and a sizable social media following.

TeamSpeak Hits Hosting Capacity Amid Discord Backlash

Voice communication platform TeamSpeak has reported reaching hosting capacity in several regions, particularly the United States, due to what it described as an “incredible surge” of new users. The spike comes shortly after competitor Discord introduced expanded age verification requirements. Under the updated policy, users are categorized as teens by default and must upload identification to access certain sensitive features. The announcement followed prior controversy involving a data leak affecting tens of thousands of uploaded government IDs.

Valve Wins Patent Troll Prevention Case

Valve has secured a decisive victory in its lawsuit against inventor Leigh Rothschild and affiliated entities under Washington’s Patent Troll Prevention Act. A jury in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington ruled in Valve’s favor on all counts, including claims related to bad-faith patent assertions and breach of contract. The case stemmed from allegations that Rothschild entities made improper patent litigation threats despite an existing licensing agreement between the parties.

DayZ Creator Calls to Normalize Game Delays

Dean Hall, creator of DayZ and founder of RocketWerkz, has publicly called for players to help destigmatize release delays following the postponement of the console version of Icarus. Originally scheduled for late February, Icarus’ console launch was pushed back by one month to allow additional polish and quality assurance. During a Reddit AMA, Hall argued that “target fixation” around release dates, driven by revenue pressures and public perception, often leads to rushed launches and crunch culture.